Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday he had no intention of resigning after prosecutors announced they were considering whether to indict him in connection with a corruption case.

"I am not about to resign. I stress -- I am not about to resign," Sharon was quoted as saying by the Yedioth Aharonoth daily. "If the question is whether recent developments are liable to bring about my resignation, the answer is no."

Wednesday, a Tel Aviv court charged a property developer linked to the ruling Likud party with trying to bribe Sharon when he held lower government posts in the 1990s.

The indictment of David Appel drew opposition calls for Sharon's resignation.

Justice Ministry sources said prosecutors would decide within months if Sharon should be indicted in the case.

Israel's Channel Two television quoted Attorney-General Edna Arbel as saying Sharon could face charges as soon as next month.

While Sharon, 75, a former army general, remains popular for his tough handling of a three-year-old Palestinian uprising, opinion polls suggest most Israelis would want him to step down if misconduct was proved.

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